F1 US GP: Button laments Magnussen pit call, tyre woes

Jenson Button reflects on a tough United States Grand Prix, the Englishman frustrated with tyres and a bungled pit call from McLaren.

Jenson Button has branded his United States Grand Prix race as 'dreary' after an afternoon conditioned by tyre degradation and a 'strange' call for him to delay his final pit-stop in favour of team-mate Kevin Magnussen.

Button, who started 12th after receiving a five-place grid penalty for changing his gearbox, endured an eventful afternoon as he got stuck in with various battles across the field, not least an entertaining early scrap with Fernando Alonso.

However, the McLaren-Mercedes driver was left on the back foot when he was called into the pit-lane for his final stop, only for him to be told to stay out after it was decided that team-mate Magnussen should be brought in instead. Claiming to have lost three places on that extra lap, Button was frustrated with the call.

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"The car in front has the call on pit stops, but not when the car behind has been told he is stopping that lap, so it was very weird," he said. "I lost three places on that lap, so it did destroy it a little bit. I don't think it would have cost Kevin as much because he had a big enough gap too me, but sometimes strange calls are made."

Getting embroiled in a battle for the final points' positions in the closing stages, Button would eventually be bumped down to 12th place at the finish with little rear grip. Frustrated to be on a par with teams like Toro Rosso having finished fourth in Sochi, Button lamented that it seems the McLaren only works well on certain circuits.

"It wasn't a battle with other drivers, it was a battle trying to stay on the circuit. I don't know if other people had the same as me but they struggled less. The only fun bit was the fight with Alonso, but apart from that it was a bit of a dreary race because I was just looking behind me.

"I had massive issues with the rear, the surface temperature was getting really hot and bulk was really dropping, so it was just slipping around. It is unusual to struggle with degradation, so it was very strange.

"Our pace was similar to Toro Rosso, which was a surprise. Kevin finished eighth, just ahead of a Toro Rosso so it is a bit of a surprise we were not quicker. Hopefully Brazil will suit us a little bit more. It seems there are some circuits that suit rather than us just being competitive everywhere."